According to the Balance Sheet for Food Commodities that has just been completed by Tike (Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry), Finnish people ate 76.7 kg of meat per capita last year – half a kilogram more than in 2007. Poultry meat consumption increased by 0.9 kg, and for the first time, it exceeded beef consumption. The Balance Sheet for Food Commodities annually compiled by Tike is a summary of the production, domestic use and consumption of the most important food groups in Finland.

Poultry meat consumption increased by 0.9 kilograms, i.e. by almost 5% from the previous year. This was the first time it exceeded beef consumption. Pork consumption increased by 0.3 kg, i.e. by one per cent. Beef consumption decreased by about 3 per cent, i.e. by half a kilogram, from the year before. In 2008, beef consumption amounted to 18.2 kg per capita, pork consumption to 35.3 kg and poultry meat consumption to 18.5 kg. The total consumption of meat amounted to 76.7 kg per capita. This includes also game and edible offals. The total amount is half a kilogram larger than in 2007.

Skimmed milk still popular
Of liquid dairy products, the consumption of yoghurt and skimmed milk increased; the consumption of whole milk, low-fat milk, sour milk and viili (curdled milk) continued to decrease. Total milk consumption was 137.2 litres per capita, i.e. 0.4 per cent lower than in 2007. Slightly more than half of this amount, 73.4 litres, was low-fat milk, whose consumption fell by 2.2 per cent. At 51 litres, skimmed milk accounted for 37 per cent of total milk consumption, i.e. 3.2 per cent more than the previous year. The consumption of whole milk fell only by less than one per cent from the previous year, to 10.5 litres per capita, whereas in earlier years the drop has been more drastic.

As in the previous year, the consumption of sour milk decreased by 2.7 per cent, to 12.6 litres per capita. The per capita consumption of yoghurt was 21.9 litres on average, i.e. 1.2 per cent more than in 2007. The consumption of viili (curdled milk) was 5.1 litres, i.e. 1.7 per cent less than the year before. At 6.8 litres, the consumption of cream remained at the previous year’s level. The total consumption of liquid dairy products was 183.6 litres last year, the amount being almost the same as in 2007 (-0.4%)

Consumption of oats equalled that of rice
The total consumption of cereals was 80.2 kg per capita last year, i.e. slightly under half a kilogram more than the year before. At 48 kg, the per capita consumption of wheat remained unchanged. After having been on the increase for a few years, the consumption of rye fell by a kilogram from the previous year, to 15.6 kg per capita. The consumption of oats increased by one kilogram, and, at 5.6 kg, it equalled the consumption of rice. Barley consumption was 1.3 kg, i.e. 0.2 kg more than in 2007.

Consumption of vegetables remained unchanged, that of fruit fell
The consumption of fresh vegetables totalled 56.2 kg per capita. The consumption of tomatoes grew by 0.6 kg from the previous year, to 11.9 kilograms, while the consumption of other fresh vegetables fell by 0.8 kg, to 44.3 kg. The consumption of frozen vegetables was 4.4 kg per capita, which is 0.2 kg more than the previous year. The total consumption of vegetables was 68.6 kg per capita last year, the amount being roughly the same as in the previous year.

The consumption of fresh fruit fell from the previous year. The consumption of citrus fruit dropped by 1.2 kg from the year before, to 12.5 kg per capita and that of other fresh fruit by 2.1 kg, to 34.2 kg per capita. The quantities are the same as in 2006. The consumption of conserved fruit remained the same as in the previous year, at 6.2 kg per capita. The consumption of fruit juices fell for the third year running already.

Sugar and fats
At 31.8 kg, the per capita consumption of sugar increased by slightly less than one kilogram from the year before. Of fats, the consumption of butter increased by 0.2 kg from the previous year, to 2.8 kg. The consumption of margarine decreased, while that of butter-vegetable mixtures increased by 0.1 kg from 2007. The consumption of butter-vegetable mixtures was 2.9 kg and that of margarine 7.5 kg last year.
The per capita consumption of eggs was 9.6 kg on average last year, i.e. 0.1 kg more than the previous year.

Additional information
The Balance Sheet for Food Commodities compiled by Tike (Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) includes 11 food groups and as well as beverages. The Balance Sheet for Food Commodities is compiled annually in accordance with the food groupings of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

For further information, please contact actuary Tarja Kortesmaa, tel. 020 77 21 372.

The Balance Sheet for Food Commodities is available in printed form. Price: EUR 35 (incl. VAT). The publication can be ordered by telephoning 020 77 21 394 or 020 77 2005 or by emailing tilastojulkaisut[at]mmmtike.fi